The Adventure of the Secret Partner
by Frederic Lebrun
Summary: Holmes investigates a jewel theft. By the author of "The Adventure of the Detective's Sister".


English is not my mother tongue. Please excuse and point out eventual language errors.

THE ADVENTURE OF THE SECRET PARTNER

When I take a look at my notes for year 1898, I find many cases in which my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, made a brilliant use of his amazing abilities; so many that choosing one to tell is a hard job for the chronicler. The Poldark manor affair, in which Holmes put end to criminal doings of a monstrous criminal by reading the Holy Bible; the adventure of the Swedish kennel or the Parisian architect affair deserve to be recorded, and will be someday, when I'll have time enough for that. 

I've finally chosen the following case because of its spectacular brevity, a good example of my friend's genius. It only took a few minutes to Holmes for unmasking the criminal.

November 1898 was rainy, sad and windy, a dark premise for winter. It was not improved by the loss of clients and interesting cases on the last past weeks, so that I was secretly afraid that Holmes got again in cocaine as he was always doing when he was boring. I've told him many times what I thought about that habit, without any effect. Pig-headed obstinacy was one of my friend's less agreeable features.

When I came to Baker Street that morning, I found him in the living-room. Wearing his favorite dressing-gown, he was looking through the window, a thin smoke lifting from his pipe. He turned to me as I came in:

- Good morning, Watson! he said. You're coming just in time. Lestrade will be here soon."

I frowned.

- How the hell can you know that? I asked.

Holmes didn't answer. He only pointed a finger to a crumpled paper forsaken on a table. I took it and looked at the headlines.

- "Lady Rachel Blake has been victim of a robbing at her London residence", I read aloud. "A nine million pounds value jewel, gift of Sir Franklin for their wedding birthday, has been stolen. Inspector Lestrade, from Scotland Yard, investigates." You think that Lestrade will request your help?

I pursued my reading, but only for me that time.

- Case doesn't seem particularly hard, I said when I had finished.

Holmes sighed. 

- There are never easy cases, Watson. Especially when Lestrade carries on. (Something looking like a smile appeared on his face.) I was right, Watson! Here he comes! I should have bet some money!

A few time later, Lestrade entered in the apartment. 

- Mr. Holmes, the man of the Yard began, I...

- You'd need my opinion on that Blake jewel, I know."

Of course Lestrade was stunned. He turned to me, hoping an answer. All that I could do was shrugging my shoulders. Holmes prays him to sit down and when he had done, he sat too. 

- I'm listening to you, although guessing why you came soliciting my services is not hard to do. If you provide me more precise details than the papers did, I'm sure I'll be able to help you finding the thief.

The Inspector lifted his head. He didn't smile, but I saw a little satisfied sparkle in his eyes.

- Oh, Mr. Holmes, that's a settled case. The thief is in jail since ten o' clock that morning.

A cloud quickly passed on Holmes's face. 

- So why did you come? Would you have any doubt?

Lestrade nodded.

- Absolutely any doubt at all, he said. The man in cell 13 is actually the one we were searching for."

- So what is the problem? Holmes asked. I don't understand, Lestrade.

- The problem is that if we have the man who stole the jewel, we don't have the jewel."

Holmes crossed his legs and joined his fingers, his usual posture when he was examining a case.

- Tell me all, Lestrade.

- Well, catching the thief was not very hard to do, Mr. Holmes. His method is so characteristic that we knew it was him as soon as we came on the crime scene. All we had to do was going to his home and arresting him.

- Did you find some true evidences against him, his characteristic method aside?

- More than we need. He had clay under his shoes, and his footprints perfectly matched the ones found in Lady Blake's garden. Above all, the remnant we've discovered on a window board belong to his coat. Our man didn't even deny. He confessed everything at once. Everything... except what he has done with the jewel.

- I suppose you've made a deep search?

Lestrade energetically nodded.

- Surely we did, Mr. Holmes! We've explored every inch of his apartment, without finding anything. 

- And what's your opinion about that strange absence?

- I think that our man has a partner, and it's that partner who has the jewel now. 

Holmes turned to me.

- That explanation seem hanging well, don't you think, Watson? In fact, it's probably the only possible one. Do you have some suspects?

Lestrade grinned. 

- Not at all. For what we knew, our man usually worked all alone. But it seems that he always had a partner. When we asked him about that, he mocked us by saying he and his friend formed a well-known duet.

Holmes lifted and went back to the widow. His sharp profile stood up on the white curtain, reminding one of a bird of prey. He looked outside.

- Only you are able to help us, Lestrade pursued. Sir and Lady Blake are not anybody, you know, and that theft had Lady Blake being all worked up. When she was younger, before she married Sir Franklin, another jewel had been stolen to her, and it had been the beginning of a series of tragic events that impressed her forever. One of my relatives, Sergeant Cuff, had investigated that case."

Holmes puffed at his pipe, looking thoughtful.

- Your man said that he formed a duet well-known with his unknown partner. By the way, what's our thief's name? You didn't mention it."

- That's right, Holmes. The name is Becker, Waldo Becker."

Pipe fell down on the floor. Holmes seemed to have been stroke by lightning. He stood immobile for a few minutes, then he came to his library and got the "F" volume of his reference books. He quickly turned the pages, found the note he was searching for and carefully read it, repeating "Of course, of course". He smiled when he took the book back to its place.

- Holmes! I said. What happens? Did you...

He didn't answer, going to his desk and writing something on a paper sheet.

- This is your man, he said to Lestrade, giving him the sheet.

Lestrade read. I tried to do so over his shoulder, but I had no time enough for that. Lestrade folded the sheet and put it in his pocket.

- Are you sure, Mr. Holmes? And how?

- Don't waste your time asking me useless questions, Lestrade, Holmes nervously answered. You'd better arrest him before he'll run away with that jewel! Maybe he already did!

Impressed and a little frightened, Lestrade shook his head and went to the door.

- What name did you write, Holmes? I asked when the policeman was out. How did you find it?

Holmes went back to his armchair and sat down.

- I'll tell you when we'll get the results... But there was only a solution, a really obvious one, and that's a shame for the Yard that they have not seen it."

So he lifted his eyes to the ceiling, and I understood that I wouldn't get anything else from him. I sat too and tried in vain to reconstitute my friend's reasoning. 

In the beginning of the afternoon, a telegram came from the Yard. Holmes didn't show any emotion when I read:

"You were right. Jewel found at suspect's home. Thanks. Lestrade."

- Well, I said. Now I think you can give me some explanations, Holmes. What name did you give to Lestrade?

- It's quite simple, Watson. I've told Lestrade to take a look on Mr. Gerald Fagen, from Whitechapel.

- Gerald Fagen? But why him? What made you think of him?

Holmes had a thin smile. 

- As I've told you, Watson, it's quite simple. Everybody with solid knowledge about criminal underworld has heard of the famous duet Becker-Fagen!

THE END

P.S.: Mmmm… I think I've went a little too far this time...


End file.
